How DDoS Protection Works

How DDoS Protection Works: A Comprehensive Overview

In today's digital world, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have become an increasing threat to organizations and companies of all sizes. These attacks flood infrastructure with massive traffic, leading to service disruptions and significant financial losses. But how do advanced protection systems work to counter this threat?

What are DDoS Attacks?

Before diving into protection mechanisms, it's important to understand the nature of the threat. DDoS attacks are deliberate attempts to disrupt servers or networks by flooding them with massive traffic from multiple sources. Unlike traditional DoS attacks, DDoS attacks come from thousands or even millions of infected devices (botnets), making them more complex to track and block.

Multi-layer Filtering: The Heart of Protection

Modern protection systems rely on the concept of deep defense through filters covering layers 3 to 7 of the OSI model. This comprehensive approach ensures coverage of all potential vulnerabilities:

Layer 3 Filters (Network Layer)

Form the first line of defense against primitive attacks. These filters analyze data packets at the IP level, where they:

• Identify and block IP ranges known for malicious activity
• Detect abnormal traffic patterns
• Apply basic protection rules such as connection rate limits

Layer 4 Filters (Transport Layer)

Focus on TCP/UDP protocols to detect and mitigate:

• SYN flood attacks
• UDP/DNS amplification attacks
• NTP reflection attacks
• Incomplete TCP connections

Layers 5-7 Filters (Session, Presentation, Application)

Represent the most advanced defensive line, dealing with:

• HTTP/HTTPS request attacks
• Complex application layer attacks
• API intrusion attempts
• Abnormal browsing behaviors

Massive Absorption Capacity: More than 15 Terabits per Second

What distinguishes advanced protection systems is their exceptional ability to absorb huge amounts of malicious traffic. With mitigation capacity exceeding 15 terabits per second, these systems can withstand the largest recorded attacks in history.

To put this number in context, most large DDoS attacks range between 100 gigabits and 1 terabit per second. A mitigation capacity of 15+ terabits means the system can absorb attacks 15 times larger than typical massive attacks, providing a wide margin of safety.

Working Mechanism: From Detection to Mitigation

Advanced DDoS protection systems work according to integrated stages:

1. Continuous Monitoring and Early Detection

• AI systems analyze traffic patterns in real-time
• Advanced algorithms distinguish between legitimate and malicious traffic
• Identifying deviations from the natural baseline of traffic

2. Threat Classification and Traffic Routing

• Redirecting suspicious traffic to specialized cleaning centers
• Deep packet analysis to distinguish between real users and bots
• Applying human behavior verification algorithms

3. Filtering and Cleaning

• Removing harmful packets while allowing legitimate traffic to pass
• Applying dynamic filtering rules that adapt to the evolution of the attack
• Using machine learning techniques to improve filtering accuracy

4. Load Distribution and Absorption

• Using Anycast networks to distribute the attack across multiple global data centers
• Automatic capacity expansion techniques to accommodate traffic peaks
• Geographically distributed infrastructure reduces the impact of focused attacks

5. Adaptation and Continuous Learning

• Updating protection rules based on new attack data
• Exchanging threat information with a global network of protection systems
• Improving defense strategies based on post-attack analysis

Why is Multi-layer Protection Necessary?

DDoS attacks continuously evolve, surpassing traditional protection methods. The multi-layer approach (from 3 to 7) ensures comprehensive coverage against:

• Simple volume-based attacks
• Smart Layer 7 attacks that mimic normal user behavior
• Mixed attacks targeting multiple layers simultaneously
• Advanced evasion techniques that bypass simple solutions

Conclusion

DDoS protection systems with 15+ terabit capacity and multi-layer filtering (3-7) represent the pinnacle of defensive technology in the information security world. By combining massive absorption capacity, advanced analytical intelligence, and globally distributed infrastructure, these systems provide a powerful shield against the most sophisticated and fierce attacks, ensuring business continuity and protection of vital digital assets.